Time-of-flight measurement techniques for airborne ultrasonic ranging

• Published in: IEEE transactions on ultrasonics, ferroelectrics, and frequency control Vol. 60; no. 2; pp. 343 - 355
• Main Authors: Jackson, J. C., Summan, R., Dobie, G. I., Whiteley, S. M., Pierce, S. G., Hayward, G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States IEEE 01.02.2013; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
• Subjects: Accuracy; Acoustics; Chirp; Cost engineering; Distance measurement; Equivalence; Ferroelectric materials; Inspection; Line of sight; Metrology; Reproducibility; Temperature dependence; Time frequency analysis; Ultrasonic variables measurement
• ISSN: 0885-3010; 1525-8955; 1525-8955
• DOI: 10.1109/TUFFC.2013.2570

Airborne ultrasonic ranging is used in a variety of different engineering applications for which other positional metrology techniques cannot be used, for example in closed-cell locations, when optical line of sight is limited, and when multipath effects preclude electromagnetic-based wireless systems. Although subject to fundamental physical limitations, e.g., because of the temperature dependence of acoustic velocity in air, these acoustic techniques often provide a cost-effective solution for applications in mobile robotics, structural inspection, and biomedical imaging. In this article, the different techniques and limitations of a range of airborne ultrasonic ranging approaches are reviewed, with an emphasis on the accuracy and repeatability of the measurements. Simple time-domain approaches are compared with their frequency-domain equivalents, and the use of hybrid models and biologically inspired approaches are discussed.